Pumps are devices used to move fluids, such as liquids, gases or slurries from one location to the next. A pump generally has a element placed in the flow of the fluid connected to a motor. When the motor is energized, the element rotates or moves pushing the fluid along a conduit. There are many types of pumps for many different types of applications.
Aside from the human heart, one of the most common type of pump is a sump pump used in basement of homes to push water and other fluids accumulated in a sump pit where the sump pump rests. There are several types of sump pumps such as pedestal pumps or submersible pumps. In a pedestal sump pump, the pump's motor is mounted above the sump pit, where it can be serviced and connected to the electrical circuit. The submersible pump on the other hand is mounted inside the pit and is sealed to prevent electrical short circuits. Sump pumps system can also be used in industrial and commercial applications. Wells can also use sump pumps.
While this disclosures generally will describe an adaptor for a “sump pump” it is understood that the adaptor can be used on any type of pump or system having a fluid inlet with or without a screen or that requires screening or pre-screening to limit the entry of solid particles into the fluid or the blocking of the screen or pre-screen by solid particles of a certain size or to create a dead volume around the inlet of the pump or system where fluid can accumulate.
Many sump pumps are small and designed with a 200 or 400 Watts pump to be used in a 2 to 3 feet pit holding 15 to 25 gallons of fluid. Pipes, typically 1.5 inch in diameter of PCV are routed from and to the pump through a check valve to control the flow of fluid through the pipe to prevent backward flow back to the sump pump. A sump pump, generally smaller in size than the pit in which it is lowered can rest freely on the bottom of the pit waiting for immersion before it is energized once a sensor measures fluid to be pumped out of the pit. Further, it is now becoming more common that pumps are configured with a redundancy system such as a secondary back up pump positioned in close proximity to the main pumping system. Legacy pits were designed for a single pump and therefore, important problems of configuration, sizing, and using multiple pumps in a single pit have arisen.
Suggested maintenance of sump pumps include an annual visual examination and cleaning by removing any debris that has accumulated in the proximity of the inlet of the sump pump. For example, if a tissue or other large object finds its way into the pit and blocks the screen on the pump, the pump may heat up and get damaged or simply be unable to pump water who may raise and flow out of the sump pit and flood a basement. Further, pumps under external stresses such as repetitive starts and stops or vibrations will “walk” to different positions and therefore joints are weakened and may burst creating further opportunity for leakage and flooding of a basement. Further, pumps that no longer are positioned as originally intended as a consequence of the “walking” may suffer from loss in efficiency by trapping the float control mechanism against the pit wall rendering it inoperable.
Often, plumbers or other maintenance personnel observe frequent problems with any single pump resulting in frequent calls. What is needed is method and device that can limit inlet blockage, protect float control mechanisms, or protect against “walking” problems and facilitate the addition or placement of back-up pumping systems. What is also needed is for a device, system, and method for reducing failure and the need for maintenance of sump pumps taking into consideration the fact that no two sump pump and sump pit are alike and that because of this large range in configurations, a design that accommodates all existing and possible configurations and sizes of pumps and pits is required.